2000
#15,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,713
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.64
Rare Last name
Biron
A French topographic surname derived from the Old French word "biron" meaning a small hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,850 Americans carry the last name Biron. That puts it at #17,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 185,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biron surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 185,273
Census rank
#17,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,613 bearers of the surname Biron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biron, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biron
The surname Biron originated in France, with its earliest roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the French word "biron," which means "staff" or "cudgel," suggesting that the name may have initially been an occupational name for a person who carried a staff or baton.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Biron can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Redon, a collection of medieval charters from the Abbey of Redon in Brittany, France. This document, dating back to the 9th century, mentions individuals with the name Biron, indicating its presence in the region during that time.
In the 11th century, the name Biron appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname had migrated to England by that period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Biron was Arnaud de Biron, a French nobleman who lived in the 13th century and served as a knight and military commander. He played a significant role in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France.
Another notable figure with the surname Biron was Charles de Gontaut, Duc de Biron (1562-1602), a French military leader and Marshal of France during the reigns of Henry III and Henry IV. He was renowned for his military prowess but was later executed for treason after being accused of conspiring against the king.
In the 16th century, the Biron name was associated with a place in southwestern France, known as the Baronnie de Biron, located in the region of Gascony. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that area.
Armand de Gontaut, Baron de Biron (1524-1592), was a prominent French nobleman and military leader who served as a Marshal of France during the French Wars of Religion. He was also the father of Charles de Gontaut, Duc de Biron, mentioned earlier.
Marie de Biron (1579-1624), also known as the Duchess of Biron, was a French courtier and mistress of King Henry IV of France. She was renowned for her beauty and influence at the French court during the early 17th century.
These examples illustrate the historical significance and presence of the surname Biron, particularly in France and England, from the medieval period onwards. While its origins can be traced back to an occupational name, the Biron surname has been associated with notable individuals and places throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biron
Among Census respondents with the surname Biron, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Biron bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Biron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 1,395
- Two or more races4.8% · 78
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 29
- Black or African American0.7% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biron
Biron appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#16,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,793
+80 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 475 places
2020
#17,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,613
-180 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 1,046 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,661 | 1,713 | 0.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,136 | 1,793 | 0.61 | +80 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 475 places |
| 2020 | #17,182 | 1,613 | 0.54 | -180 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 1,046 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Biron surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,136 | #17,182 | -6.5% |
| Count | 1,793 | 1,613 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.54 | -11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biron bearers went from 1,793 to 1,613 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 1,046 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,136 to #17,182.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Biron
FAQ
Biron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biron?
Name Census estimates that about 1,850 living Americans carry the surname Biron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 185,273 residents.
How common is Biron?
Biron ranks #17,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,613 people with the surname Biron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,850), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Biron.
Has Biron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biron went from 1,793 recorded bearers to 1,613. That is a decrease of 180 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,136 to #17,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Biron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biron, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Biron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (1,395 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Hispanic (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Biron (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Biron mean?
A French topographic surname derived from the Old French word "biron" meaning a small hill or mound. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Biron (0.54 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Biron?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.